***Probes Safe School Programme
The Nigerian Senate erupted in outrage on Tuesday following the abduction of 25 schoolgirls from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
Lawmakers described the attack, during which terrorists killed the vice-principal and injured the principal, as a national tragedy exposing Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
In response, the upper chamber urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately recruit at least 100,000 additional soldiers into the Nigerian Army to bolster overstretched forces.
Senators also ordered a comprehensive investigation into the Safe School Programme, demanding clarity on how funds were allocated, who received them, and what measures were implemented.
Moving the motion, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North) condemned the abduction as another “heinous assault” on the nation’s education system, recalling a similar incident in Kebbi in 2022. “This is a slap in the face of our nation,” he said. “Parents are losing confidence in sending their children to school. What kind of nation cannot protect its children?” Abdullahi called for an immediate rescue mission and a minute of silence in honor of the slain vice-principal.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole added that Nigeria’s population growth, now exceeding 3% annually, has outpaced the capacity of existing security forces.
He urged a forensic probe into the Safe School Programme, warning that “some individuals have turned security into a business—benefitting from appropriations while children remain exposed to danger.” Senate President Godswill Akpabio endorsed the investigation, stating, “These criminals are targeting soft spots. We must find out why the Safe School Programme has failed.”
Former Plateau Governor Simon Lalong stressed the need for technology-driven rescue operations. “These girls were kidnapped yesterday. They did not vanish into thin air. They are somewhere, being moved around,” he said. “With modern tracking tools, you can locate them from far distances. If we waste time, they’ll be beyond reach.” Lalong urged security agencies to employ mapping, surveillance, and real-time tracking, emphasizing that manpower alone cannot cover Nigeria’s vast territory.
He also highlighted the repeated targeting of girls. “This criminal act is almost always directed at the girl child,” he said, recalling the ordeals of Chibok and Leah Sharibu. Lalong called for a full review of the Safe School Programme, once funded by the World Bank, and urged that the situation be treated as a national security emergency to prevent further attacks.
Other senators echoed the call for urgent action. Senator Mohammed Tahir Munguno (Borno North) described the abduction as a direct assault on the Nigerian state, while Senator Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East) decried the normalization of school kidnappings due to siloed operations within security agencies.
Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong described the failure to protect students as “heartbreaking and gut-wrenching,” adding, “A nation that cannot protect its pupils cannot claim to be a functioning state.”
Senator Mohammed Sani Musa (Niger East) warned that Nigeria’s armed forces, with only 177,000 personnel, cannot secure every school, village, or highway.
He called for community participation, intelligence sharing, and accountability. Former Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal urged states to reassess school vulnerabilities and adopt protective measures, noting that insecurity now transcends boundaries and demands coordinated national action.
Senator Abdul Ningi described the situation as an existential threat. “This is not the time for appeasement. Lives are being shattered daily. If any of us had a daughter in captivity, we would not be negotiating with terrorists,” he said.
The Senate established an ad hoc committee from the Committees on Finance, Defence, Army, Air Force, Education, and Police Affairs to investigate all appropriations and expenditures linked to the Safe School Programme.
The committee will determine why schools remain vulnerable despite significant funding. Akpabio also stressed that the Kebbi attack should not be politicized or framed along religious lines: “Crime is crime. It does not matter under which administration it occurs. We must rescue our girls.”
While security forces have begun search-and-rescue operations, senators warned that without expanded manpower, accountability, and technology-driven strategies, similar tragedies will continue. Tuesday’s debate marked one of the strongest bipartisan condemnations of insecurity in recent months. Lawmakers are expected to formalize resolutions urging the President to intensify rescue operations, overhaul school security nationwide, and consider a massive recruitment drive into the armed forces.
As the nation awaits updates on the abducted girls, senators cautioned that without urgent and decisive action, public trust in schools and security institutions could erode further.